E. coli Contaminated Beef in Canada Has Entered U.S.

According to Food Safety News, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has detected E. coli in meat samples imported into the United States from its northern neighbor.

The USDA informed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which then conducted further testing that confirmed the presence of E. coli in beef products. This confirmation prompted a Canadian recall that extended to 17 brands and 12 non-branded meats sold throughout Canada.

On September 17th, various American companies announced that they had received and distributed beef from the Canadian company responsible for supplying the contaminated meat. The meat was supplied to companies in the following U.S. states: California, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Currently, the FSIS is investigating whether the contaminated meat was sold for further processing into products such as ground beef, ground beef patties, beef jerky, and pastrami.

“Individuals infected with E. coli typically experience nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, and children and the elderly are more susceptible to developing a severe infection,” states Dr. Jason Dobranic Ph.D., EMSL’s Vice President of Microbiology & Life Sciences. “EMSL Analytical is one of the industry’s leading food testing laboratories offering analysis of E. coli and other foodborne pathogens at our Greater Toronto location.”

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a full service testing company providing quality lab services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR, pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies.